Is calmag needed when using ro filter with re-mineralization

[Purple Goose]

Okay need to know if I should still add cal mag to my nutrients when using an ro/di system with a re-mineralization stage which brings the water it makes to 6.4 ph and 88ppm . I do know that it adds cal ,mag,sodium,iron and other minerals to make the water better for people but not sure if it is sufficient for plants I was considering adding calmag at half the directed amount but just not sure if I can cause any problems by adding to much . So if anyone know much about this type of ro water system or just water chemistry in general that would be great.

 

[Hogdady]

Don't know if it's a soil grow, but you posted in Indoor Soil Cultivation, so I'm assuming it is. Do yourself a big favor. Get used to adding Dolomite Lime to your soil. It is excellent in helping to maintain soil ph stability, and it has all the calcium and magnesium you need. You can even add it to your existing soil by mixing it in from the top down. It needs to be the powder form, not the pelletized form.

 

[Droopy Dog]

Don't know if it's a soil grow, but you posted in Indoor Soil Cultivation, so I'm assuming it is. Do yourself a big favor. Get used to adding Dolomite Lime to your soil. It is excellent in helping to maintain soil ph stability, and it has all the calcium and magnesium you need. You can even add it to your existing soil by mixing it in from the top down. It needs to be the powder form, not the pelletized form.

Big +1 on the lime.

No need for the cal/mag.

DD

 

[Purple Goose]

Don't know if it's a soil grow, but you posted in Indoor Soil Cultivation, so I'm assuming it is. Do yourself a big favor. Get used to adding Dolomite Lime to your soil. It is excellent in helping to maintain soil ph stability, and it has all the calcium and magnesium you need. You can even add it to your existing soil by mixing it in from the top down. It needs to be the powder form, not the pelletized form.

Well its a promix bx grow but from what I was told by the Guy at the shop where I bought it when I asked him about adding dolomite to it he said that as long as I kept my nutrients ph'd to 6.1 then I would have no ph problems and I found this wicked deal on nutes for $80 which got me 1l each of floragro,florabloom,floramicro,floranectar,florablend vegen tea,liquid koolbloom,grotek pro silicate,grotek calmag+,2.2lb maxibloom, 500ml of kelp concentrate foliar feed,Natura foliar feed, 1l ph up and ph down,1l safers fungicide and safers pesticide. So I figure I should use up the calmag anyways but didnt want to cause any lock outs because of excess calcium I figure I will pick up some dolomite to use if my ph of my soil starts going wonky but will try not to worry about ammending my promix till after I have used up all the calmag.

 

[Droopy Dog]

Yesh, I for sure would take the advice of someone trying to sell me something over a plant and nug winner any day .... Not!

Hogdady gave you sound advice about using lime and avoiding cal/mag and pH issues, but you seem determined to ignore it.

Good luck with the cal/mag. Perhaps that $5 bag of lime will look better in the future.

DD

 

[Purple Goose]

Yesh, I for sure would take the advice of someone trying to sell me something over a plant and nug winner any day .... Not!

Hogdady gave you sound advice about using lime and avoiding cal/mag and pH issues, but you seem determined to ignore it.

Good luck with the cal/mag. Perhaps that $5 bag of lime will look better in the future.

DD

No not determined not to use it just not wanting to waste anything seeing as I already have the calmag and the only reason I mentioned the store owner is It was just a nursery and I was prepared to purchase the dolomite already but got into a discussion about the water quality and so usually I always question when a store owner tells me I need something but when they say I could buy it as it wouldnt hurt anything but in his opinion the promix bx held ph without any problem as long as you use a constant ph every time you water or feed. But I have already gone and bought a bag of dolomite anyways as it was I just didnt want to waste the calmag I got in the big pile of nutes I picked up at a hydro shop that was going out of business.

But a better question seeing as I am starting my cuttings and seedlings in peat pucks for the first 10 days would the cal mag be of any use for keeping these young seedling defficiency free or will the call mag more then likely just be hanging around till I decide to try a Hempy bucket grow?I just hatet to waste any money whatsoever as I am on a strict budget so even though it only cost me $10 bucks who wants $10 that they cant use.

I did get the dolomite incase I do see trouble arise so I can topdress it in I just basically want to make sure I squeeze every bit of use out of everything I bought. If it turns out that adding small amounts to solution I use in my bubble cloners then I know its being used so I can be happy but I just cant explain how much I hate to waste anything.

 

[Droopy Dog]

Save the cal/mag, it won't go bad and you still may need it, especially in flowering.

There is also some errors in your assumptions and what the store guy told you.

Top dressing with lime: This is only done as a last resort and silly if you are able to add the lime in the mix before use. It will be on the order of 2 weeks or so to see any results from top dressing. It is crushed rock. It doesn't really dissolve and it is not fast acting in the sense you are thinking of, not like say, adding epsom salts where you see the results in a day or so.

This is why Hogdady said get used to adding it to your mix.

pH'ng your nutes, water and all. Why? I do not pH anything. I'm doing organic in a promix base, well limed and with a good micro herd. I've added everything from a high pH (7.5+), to low (4.5-5.0) and my run off stays at a steady 6.6-6.7. The soil buffers whatever gets dumped on there.

I have a nice Milwaukee SM-101 that gets used less than twice a month. There is simply no need for it.

You may need the cal/mag in flowering. The lime does get consumed by the plants and when they run short, it always seems to be right in the middle of flowering.

I can't comment on the peat pucks because I don't use them and anything I say would just be a guess. I would be very cautious with seedlings and ANY nutes or additives.

Good Luck and good growing.

DD

 

[Purple Goose]

Okay cool Thats all I needed to know that I wouldnt have a bottle of it sitting around forever and have it end up as a waste of cash . So the next thing will be how much dolomite should I mix into 1 3.8cf bale of promix bx ???? Would 1 cup be about right?

 

[Droopy Dog]

"I" use 1 cup/cf of mix.

Just a touch short of 4 cups for that bale of promix.

A wheelbarrow helps, or one of those real cheap kiddie pools, like at Walmart for mixing.

I usually mix 1/2 bale at the time for ease.

DD

 

[SnowBender]

hod/concrete mixing trays are sweet for mixing soil.

 

[Droopy Dog]

hod/concrete mixing trays are sweet for mixing soil.

+1 on that also.

I have several. 2 in my grow tent with drains, 1 for moms and another for mixing and harvesting worm castings and a small one for clones.

Really heavy duty.

DD

 

[SupraSPL]

Not sure if this affects how much lime to add but the 3.8 cu ft bales are compressed I think they expand to 7 cu ft.

 

[Purple Goose]

I added 4 cups of dolomite to the bale total and presently when I water I am going with a ph of 6.2 and run off is holding at 6.1-6.2 at all times which from what I have read is the proper ph when using potting mix apparently the ph range is between the range for hydro and soil from everything I have read from all appearances my plants are doing really well except for a bit of tip burn do to a tad to much nutes but plants are going into flower now anyways and from all I have read they should start craving a higher nutrient strength.

 

[Droopy Dog]

Not sure if this affects how much lime to add but the 3.8 cu ft bales are compressed I think they expand to 7 cu ft.

Good Point!!!!

I add my lime to the expanded amounts, so that would be ~7 cups for that compressed bale.

DD